Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-03-08
The Late Congress.

The Forty-ninth congress, which was
ushered in amid SO many rosy anticipa-
tons. expired by constitutional limitation
on Friday noon Despite the classical
advice to speak nothing but good of the
dead, yet candor compels the assertion
that with few exceptions its career has
been disappointing. This is particularly
true of the house, perhaps for the reason
that more was expected of it than the
senate. The house is the direct repre-
sentative of the people and large major
ity of the body was elected upon dis
tinct pledge to reform certain evils which
are referred to in the following quo
tatiOn from the democratic platform of
1884:
Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxa
ton Surplus taxstiou of more than Il
hundred million dollars has yearly been
collected from suffering people. We
denounce the republican party for hav
ing failed to relieve the people from
crushing war taxes which have paraiy led
business, crippled industry and deprived
labor of employment and of Just reward.
Instead of the republican plrty's discred'
tied scheme and false pretense OF frlrn l.
ship for American labor, expressed BY i'm
posing taxes, we demand. in behalf OF
the democracy. freedom for American
labor by reducing taxes. to the end that
these United States may compete with
unhindered powers for the supremacy
among nations in all the arts of peace
and fruits of liberty,
What has been done TO fulfill this
promise made to the people? Absolutely
nothing Not one dollar of the "unnCc
ess4ry taxation, which the platform de-
clared TO be unjust taxation has been
taken off On the contrary. ever wild
scheme to inpoverisb the government and
render a reduction impossible has been
entertained. Some of these jobs have
been killed by the presidents veto, others
have failed through disagreement between
the two houses, aud still others have
been defeated by the obstructive efforts
of faithful few In this latter category
may be placed the monstrosity known as
the Blair educational bill. which would
have undoubtedly passed the house, as il
already had the senate. if the obstructive
tactics of hsndful of members had not
prevented it from coming to vote. On
the whole, therefore, when the titures
come to be footed 40 /, is not likely that
the appropriations will he much larger
than in former years But thst this is So
is due more to accident than design.
Let US however, be strictly fair to the
late congress. 1t passed Two measures Of
great public Importance which had been
neglected by it, predecessors The t
measures We're the bills regulating the
presidential succession aud the electoral
count Owing to the intense excitement
of our presidential contests there WAS al
ways danger of an outbreak in disputed
election, since men might honestly differ
as to the Interpretation of the law Now
the law regulating the subject has baeu
made as clear as language could M ke it,
so that that danger is removed at least
as far as statutory provisions can do so
The late congress also deserves credit
mark for its agreement upon 4 retaliato-
~ measure towards Canada, imperfect
though it be. for her repeated outrages
upon citizens of the United States This
was something emphatically demanded.
II is. OF course. understood that it pro-
vides only for future acts of aggression.
Should Canada cease her unneighborly
course, the matter simply drops.